Smoking articles such as cigarettes and a variety of other consumer goods are commonly sold in hinge-lid packs. These hinge-lid packs comprise a box portion and a lid portion, which is hinged to the back wall of the box portion. Such packs are formed from laminar cardboard blanks that include various panels and flaps, which when folded about appropriate score lines around a pre-wrapped bundle of cigarettes form the box portion and the lid portion of the hinge-lid pack.
Hinge-lid packs comprising a sliding device embracing the box portion are known. In such known packs the lid portion is opened and closed by moving the sliding device along the pack. Such packs are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,990,994, 3,400,874 and 3,858,788. In the pack disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,400,874 the sliding device is a separate element which can be moved up to the top edge of the lid portion to bring the pack into a closed position. However, in this closed position the pack has an undesirable gap between the sliding device and the top edge of the lid. In the pack disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,788 the sliding device is not a separate element. Instead a rigid connection exists between the sliding device and the lid portion. Due to the rigidity of that connection, it is impossible to move the sliding device all the way up the pack in the closed position. As a result the sliding device is stuck between the ends of the pack. According to U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,994 the sliding device is connected to the lid portion by a flexible connection and it is therefore possible to move the sliding device all the way up in the closed position. However, due to the flexible connection between the sliding device and the lid portion the opening mechanism is complicated. Furthermore, the blank to form this pack is not suitable for mass production.
There is a need for hinge-lid containers with a sliding device with improved handling. Furthermore, there is a need for such a container with an improved closure.